Buzczar, I was just responding to another post that had already made it political. I would go to the other spot, but you wouldn't find my response.
My kids just finished high school and I can tell you that both my ex and I were thrilled to have them away from that environment. The public school just got ranked #240 or so nationally. It is loaded with talented kids, coming from talented elementary and middle schools, and talented families. (I had zero problems with these school.)
After speaking one night with the head of the English department of the #1 Private school, I tend to agree with your cirriculum statement, particularly when talking about AP courses.
But I can assure you that 85% of the teachers end up falling into the same rut. I find the individuals to be excellent hard working individuals, but from right out of college, they are trained to go in the wrong direction by their liberal elders.
As a parent, I observed some problems and tried to get involved. The more I asked or prodded the more I was outcast. They do not want parents around in order to protect themselves (I guess).
A stupid little fun example: My daughter brought home a C in math. I checked into it and then called her teacher. His very first comment was "I hear her name everyday on the sports announcements, she needs to play less sports." Knowing that the principal in the school hates sports, except that Michael Phelps went there and she milked that good, I didn't bother. My daughter got a 750 SAT math, 4 and 5 in AP calculus, but could only get a C out of this guy.
Later, she volunteered to help out less skilled freshman in math, etc. The teacher there loved her help and told her math teacher (who was the department head). Her grades quickly rose to B's then A's. As my daughter put it, "I wasn't accepted coming out of a conservative environment (sports, etc.), but while I was helping the community, I became the go to girl in the class."
Obviously this is a poor single example, but it reflects the total domination of a single mindset in teaching. I'm writing a book, I'll let you proof it for me.
p.s. I strongly considered suing the school system for not having enough Republican or Conservative teachers. There are rules for blacks, gays, etc. but the community is made up of 70% conservatives and the teachers are 85% liberal. This makes no sense to me. My observation is that the true difference between liberals and conservatives is how they think and how they attempt to solve problems. This could be learned, it could be partially genetic (an observation I make from a 6 child family, liberal parents).
For example, I believe society is "pulled" along by the top of the food chain down, liberals believe that society is "pushed" along by the bottom up. This example is a good one for an education argument.
And please don't give me the "if the liberals didn't stand up to teach, there wouldn't be any teachers" baloney. If the system in place would be set up by businessmen in a learning, adjusting free market method, instead of the current socialistic one, conservatives would flock to teaching.
It is not the kids or the parents or lack of air conditioning that keeps conservatives out of teaching. It's the system.
